Call for participants: housing rights course for BAME communities

Following the successful housing rights programmes for women and for refugees, Law for Life will be running a six-week housing-rights course for London-based organisations supporting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. The course will be delivered online, is free to participants, and is funded by Trust for London.

The programme is aimed at people working or volunteering with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities experiencing housing problems or who are at risk of becoming homeless in London. Participants may be community volunteers, members of a BAME support group, a grassroots mutual aid organisation, or something similar.

The programme will explore the rights and experiences of those experiencing housing issues, with attention to the disproportionate impact of housing problems on BAME communities in London.We are particularly keen to invite organisations/initiatives working with Black African, Black Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities as the existing research shows they have been particularly affected by both the housing crisis and the pandemic. However we also welcome participants from organisations working with other similarly affected groups and individuals. 

The course aims to give participants the basic knowledge and skills needed to deal with key housing issues such as evictions, homelessness applications, and poor housing conditions. You do not need to know anything about housing law to apply as this introductory course is aimed at people with no formal legal training. The course will be delivered in English.

The programme will run online every Tuesday from 3-5pm for six weeks, and participants are required to watch a 30 minute introductory video before each interactive session. The topics are:

  • Week 1 (April 19th): Benefits and housing
  • Week 2 (April 26th): Dealing with local authorities in the context of homelessness applications
  • Week 3 (May 3rd): Living in temporary accommodation
  • Week 4 (May 10th): Tenancies and other housing arrangements
  • Week 5 (May 17th): Dealing with poor housing conditions
  • Week 6 (May 24th): How to deal with a Section 21 eviction notice

The course is free to attend, but spaces are limited. You must be able to attend all six sessions, as later sessions build upon the knowledge from previous ones. We will prioritise participants from community/grassroot organisations and people with lived experience. Due to limited capacity, we will accept a maximum of two participants per organisation. 

Please register your interest in attending this course by Monday 28th March by filling in this form. 

We will let you know by Friday 1st April  if you have secured a place.

If you have any queries about the course please contact Rowan Milligan at:
rowan.milligan@lawforlife.org.uk